Students at Jackson State University are in an uproar after a proposal created by their president, Ronald Mason, was leaked to the public.

The proposal called for the creation of a new university "Jacobs State University," in lieu of Gov. Haley Barbour's proposal to merge historically black universities Alcorn State and Mississippi Valley into Jackson State.

However, Mason who called in from Washington, D.C., to tell his students that this in fact was not a proposal; it was an ‘idea.'

"There are flat out lies out there," said Mason. "Four months ago I tried to figure out a way for our institutions to survive and I came up with this idea. I spoke with several alumni and legislatures and I came up with the thought of these three universities to join under one umbrella. I have not been talking to Gov. Barbour and have not talked to him since last Christmas. This is strictly an idea that I had and have not proposed into a bill. I don't know how this got leaked."

But students at the meeting were not convinced that Mason was telling the entire truth. One student in particular said that she doesn't buy into her president's theory.

"I believe that ulterior motives lie beneath this merger," said Rachel Johns, a sophomore NAACP member at JSU. "However, we must press on the issue, because if we sleep on this, others will be playing in the devil's workshop in the meantime."

JSU's NAACP chapter president Lafeyounda Brooks said that the meeting was not a lynching session for the president, but more an informative session to come together and get creative about what they needed to do and to let their president know how they felt.

"We're not here to bash President Mason," said Brooks. "But we do want him to know, President Mason, we're watching you."

Brooks said that he was not there to talk about the presidents' "idea," but to rally students to take a stand against the proposed bills that were in the senate.

"There is a bill out that Sen. Doug Davis (R) has put forth and those bills are Senate Bill 2701 and Senate Bill 2710," said Brooks. "We have to be proactive and find a way to kill the bills."

Mason also stressed that he did not understand what was so bad about his ‘idea.'

"I spoke with Sen. Alice Harden about my idea and she decided to declare war," said Mason. "And that in itself is scary that we can't even put an idea on the table and at least talk about it without it turning into war and trying to kill someone."

But JSU students feel ideas are ok, but to them a merger is not an option.

"I came to Jackson State University not Jacobs State University," said Brooks.

SGA President Courtney Gray said that now was the time for the students and the community to pull together and find a better solution.

"We have to brainstorm on what we can do to come together," said Gray. "It is time for us to take a stand. If we can't do it, no one can. It's our duty to make a difference."

Students filled the ballroom on their campus in an effort to understand the ‘extreme challenges facing the historically black colleges and universities in Mississippi.' A challenge Mason said he knows all too well.

"I work for HBCUs and I know the challenges," said Mason. "And if we aren't careful, we can stop the merger, but still lose our institutions."

Students were given the opportunity to write down questions they had for their president and the most popular question was ‘why Jacobs University?'

"I came up with Jacobs State University because it was the only name of a founder of these three institutions that was created by a black man for black people," said Mason. "Alcorn and Valley were both designed to keep blacks out of the white colleges. Jackson College was not. So I felt Jacobs was a great name."

Another student asked why couldn't they just to continue to ask for better funding and keep the universities separate and what was the difference between Mason's idea and Barbour's proposal?

"If you keep doing the same things, you get the same results," said Mason. "My idea is not a merger, it is unification. People are already questioning the value of HBCUs. Regardless, cuts will have to be made. We will probably see about 100 plus cuts administratively here because it has to happen. We're going to lose at least $12 million. I feel if we don't come together, we will end up dying apart."

Students have planned out what they are calling the "Action Timetable," which outlines dates of important meetings and sessions that are coming up in the future in which they plan to have a dramatic presence.

"One thing about it is, legislatures get scared when you're in their face," said Brooks. "So we're going to show up at the University and College Committee Meeting on Jan. 28; we're having a HBCU Alliance Town Meeting on Feb. 9, where President Mason and State Superintendent Hank Bounds will be on the panel; and we will have JSU Day at the State Capital on March 4. They will see us and our voices will be heard."